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Thursday, December 3, 2015

Thoughts on Gun Violence

And it's happened again.  At least 14 people killed by armed men bent on destruction.  Again, there will be cries of "you can't take away my guns" on social media.  Lots of memes declaring their compassion for San Bernadino and the victims involved.  Tons of political rhetoric around which party is to blame this time.

I have an opinion, surprise, surprise.  My opinion?  We must do SOMETHING.  We must allow Obama to do SOMETHING.  Even if it turns out to be the wrong thing, we must take the first step towards ending this nonsense.  The same folks decrying Obama's softness on the ISIS situation are the the ones that won't allow him to take action on gun control reform.  The same people who claim the problem is mental health treatment are the ones that don't want their taxes to be spent on treatment facilities.

I don't think the entire problem is gun control.  I don't.  I think it's much more complicated than that.  We have raised an entire generation of kids who feel entitled to a trophy when they didn't win.  We have allowed them to sit all day in front of violent video games until their world view is skewed.

We have taught them over and over again that not all people are created the same, and not all people will go to heaven.  Even I, at my age, remember vividly being told by a Lutheran kid that Catholic's were evil because we "worshipped" Mary.  And after moving to Texas, being schooled by a Baptist that the only way to the Kingdom of God was by being saved in a Baptist church.  And the old "we love gay people, we just think that they are sinners" line.

We seem to have lost the ability to think on our own.  When someone you trust says something, you take it as the truth.  And if someone you dislike says something, you immediately discard it as nonsense.  So education is another problem.  Let's teach our kids how to think, not what to think.  And that's not just in school - parents are the biggest influencers.  Along with the curriculum, we need to provide a healthy meal every day.  We need to teach not only reading and writing, but life skills.  When we graduate high school, we should know how to fill out a resume, interview, do taxes, and financially prepare for our future.

So if I were King of the World?  I'd abolish all semi-automatic assault rifles in private hands for a start.  They belong in the hands of the military or police only.  Don't give me the argument that you have 14 rifles for protection - only one can be used at a time.  I'd tighten up the process to get a gun so that it was at least as hard as getting your driver's license.  Yes, criminals would still have their guns, but guess what - the average criminal isn't the one causing the mass shootings!

I would raise taxes and abolish the loopholes that have allowed the wealthiest to not pay their share.  I would use the money to invest in education, and provide a free college education to those that want it as well.  Mental health would no longer be the taboo it is now; proper treatment would be available and the people who have been living on the streets would be treated with compassion.  Drug treatment would be free.  And, I'd make marijuana legal.  It's my belief that drug addicts are born addicts, and may never try drugs if they weren't so taboo to begin with.

Does my opinion make me a Democrat?  Perhaps.  Remember, Lincoln was a Republican; back then the left leaning party was the complete opposite of what it is today.  So I don't think it makes me a Democrat - I think it makes me human.






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